


Just for Your Protection

by Chocolatebunnysan



Category: Bleach
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Bodyguard, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Developing Relationship, Fighter AU, Fun, M/M, Modern AU, Ultimate Fighting Championship, Yaoi, celebrity, developmental story, grimmjow wears nothing, ichigo wears a suit, originally a tumblr idea
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-28
Updated: 2020-10-02
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:47:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26153668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chocolatebunnysan/pseuds/Chocolatebunnysan
Summary: Grimmjow Jaegerjaques is on his way to becoming the king of the Octagon! He's been undefeated for awhile and pretty much thinks he can take care of himself. Aizen disagrees and has his bodyguard, Ichigo Kurosaki, stay closer than ever before. Grimmjow can't stand the idea and really thinks anybody stupid enough to try him gets what they deserve. But, no point in arguing. So, now the bodyguard is living with him, and Grimmjow can't help but notice some benefits to having the him around...he just might not admit it. (Also posted on ffnet under same name; it's mine)
Relationships: Grimmjow Jaegerjaques & Kurosaki Ichigo, Grimmjow Jaegerjaques/Kurosaki Ichigo
Comments: 14
Kudos: 63





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello peeps~  
> So I've been playing around a bit on this site and have been enjoying the feedback and response to my two oneshots here. This story is still being worked on and is posted elsewhere, but I couldn't hold off on you all here. You Grimmichi fans are something serious on this site lol. But I love it. This is my first multi-chapter fic for this fandom, so that's cool. I'm in the process of rewatching Bleach, and this otp hit me like a truck this time around. Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you enjoy this.

Grimmjow spit out the bloody gauze from his mouth and that signature grin was smacked on his face. “Shit, I can still hear the crowds. They love me!” he snickered. From the private locker room, there was a gentle rumble that shook the walls coming from the crowd of over a thousand spectators who were still feeding off the adrenaline from what they just witnessed.

“Well the victory was well earned. You looked like you were in trouble there for a minute.” Grimmjow’s trainer, Shawlong, replied and finished cleaning up Grimmjow’s wounds.

Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez was currently undefeated for the last year and was on his way to take the Middleweight title. He was a cocky bastard who was nicknamed “The Panther” for his fast moves and stalking actions when looking for an opening. Things were looking up this year as endorsements and side gigs were coming his way. However, he wanted, no _needed_ , to secure that championship title. It would be the cherry on top. He would be the king of the octagon and defend his title until they kicked him out.

Grimmjow kissed his teeth. “Tch, shut it. I was doing fine.” he grumbled. He heard a chuckled and glared at the source.

The only complaint Grimmjow had besides no title came in the form of an orange-haired brat named Kurosaki Ichigo who was currently paying more attention to the game in his hands and the chocolate piece in his mouth. He had been working with Grimmjow’s team since the fighter had taken a break and returned for his winning streak.

“Why is this bastard here again?” Grimmjow complained and sneered.

Aizen chimed in. “For your protection. You know you have some rowdy fans and plenty of enemies. I don’t want anyone hurting you outside of the octagon.” he explained all too calmly.

Grimmjow rolled his eyes. “If someone's tryna pull a fast one on a UFC fighter they can just get what’s comin’ fer them.” he stood up and put on his shirt. “Besides, are we sure this brat can even do his job properly? He ain’t even paying attention. Can he throw a decent punch?” Again, there was a cocky chuckle.

Ichigo stretched and pocketed his game into his suit. “I promise I can hold my own against you. That’s why I was hired.”

“Bullshit. Me? You’re biting more than you can chew, Strawberry.” Grimmjow pressed. 

“Watch your mouth or you’ll be needing Shawlong to add some bandages to that pretty stupid face of yours.” Ichigo threatened and the typical scowl was plastered on. He visibly tensed and straightened his back.

“I appreciate the compliment. Unfortunately for you, I plan on getting a chick tonight once this is all over.” Grimmjow shot back. He grabbed his jacket and threw it on.

Aizen finally stepped in. “Guys enough.” He tossed a set of keys at Ichigo. “Take him home tonight.” He pointed at Ichigo then shifted to the other man. “Grimmjow, no clubbing.”

“What!” the men shouted in unison. “Doesn’t he have a driver?” Ichigo argued. “Why can’t I go out?”

Aizen only smiled. “We only have three matches before Grimmjow challenges for the title, and I don’t want anything happening to him. The driver can go on a vacation, and I know you want the cash. You’ll get a raise.” To emphasize this, he handed an envelope to the young man.

“That’s a low blow...” Ichigo mumbled and pocketed the letter and twirled the keys around his finger.

“And Grimmjow, I don’t need you out making a bad image for yourself. There’s a limit to how much of a bad boy people want to see.” Aizen explained. He stood up and fixed his suit cuffs. “See you gentlemen in a couple weeks. Good night.” he then left the room.

Ichigo rubbed his neck. “Guess you’re not getting laid tonight.”

Grimmjow threw a towel, but Ichigo caught it.

* * *

Apparently, Aizen wanted Ichigo as a live-in driver/bodyguard because Grimmjow found the boy was always closer than he thought. Thankfully, his bachelor pad was big enough for a family, and there was a separate building that was almost the size of a single home itself. Ichigo took up temporary residence there. The residency was a desert villa with stone-looking walls, cacti, a rock garden, and a large blue pool that was like an oasis. It was surely enough for several people to come and visit for a good time. However, Grimmjow was rarely one to have guests. Which is why Grimmjow was annoyed at first when Ichigo’s friends had rung his doorbell instead of going to the other building. He gave them as much attitude as he could muster, but they didn’t seem too troubled.

On another occasion, he was shocked to see one of his bodyguard’s friends show up in training clothes with a pair of kickboxing gloves on. Then, the _one_ benefit of Ichigo’s presence came in the form of Mr. Chad Yatsutora. Grimmjow was surprised to learn that his bodyguard did in fact take up some physical training and sparred. Chad was willing to spar with Grimmjow but insisted that he was still an up-and-coming fighter and nothing compared to the undefeated celebrity.

Grimmjow should have called bullshit.

Grimmjow chugged his water bottle and looked over as his bodyguard and his best friend chatted away after they had gone at it for about an hour. Chad still needed some help with speed, but his blows were powerful. Grimmjow rubbed on a particularly sore spot on his side.

Chad returned to Grimmjow and did a little bow. “Thank you.” He was a man of simple words.

Grimmjow shook his head. “Ah, don’t worry about it. You’re more fun than going to the gym. They’re too uptight.”

Chad simply nodded and looked over at Ichigo. “You don’t train with Ichigo?” he gestured towards his friend with his thumb.

Grimmjow was a bit surprised at first and laughed. “The Strawberry?” he howled. “You’re kidding.”

Chad shook his head. “He’s good.” That was all he said before bowing again then leaving with his things.

‘He’s good.’ That rung in Grimmjow’s head for a few days. Now, that he thought about it, Ichigo did seem to keep up during the endurance training the fighter did at home. Grimmjow would run miles in the neighborhood, and Ichigo would only be trailing by a few yards saying that he needed to keep an eye out for his surroundings. Ichigo would occasionally spot for Grimmjow in case he thought the man was pushing his boundaries at home with no Shawlong to watch his weight training. Grimmjow was sure that Ichigo was fit well enough to have some of his own fights, but the man would never step into a practice ring with him. He wanted to change that.

A few nights later, Grimmjow walked down stairs and spotted the young man in his kitchen—the other building didn’t have everything. Ichigo felt his presence and turned. “Do you believe in clothes?” addressing Grimmjow’s nowhere-to-be-found shirt.

Grimmjow wanted to get annoyed, but he had a mission. “Shut it, you like it.” he mumbled. He watched as Ichigo fixed himself a bowl of cereal. “Fight me.” the words came out before he could stop.

Ichigo lazily looked up at him before shoving a spoon in his mouth and shaking his head. “No.”

“Why not?”

“Kinda stupid for a bodyguard to hurt the person he’s meant to protect.” Ichigo answered before going back to enjoying his cereal as he leaned on the counter.

Grimmjow wasn’t going to budge. “Oh what protecting? I’m fine.”

Ichigo raised a brow before placing his bowl down and reaching into his basketball shorts for a phone. He unlocked it and pulled up a gallery folder before tossing the phone. “Those are photos that vary from stalkers, paparazzi, suspicious vehicles, and the occasional bold fan that thinks they can climb a wall.”

Grimmjow swiped through them while Ichigo went back to his cereal. “How come I never knew this?”

“It’s my job to make sure nothing crazy happens. You train and fight, and I keep the weirdos away.”

Grimmjow didn’t want to admit it, but he had a point. He handed back the phone. “I don’t care about that right now. I want to fight you. I need a challenge, and your buddy has his own fights to prepare for.” he paused. “What’s the problem, Strawberry? Ya scared?”

Ichigo glared at him. “Watch it. Aizen, isn’t here to protect you.”

“I think you’re forgetting which one of is an undefeated professional fighter.”

“And one of us has the job of protecting said fighter.” Ichigo then grinned. “I also ain’t the one begging for a fight.”

“Oi, I don’t beg Kurosaki.”

Ichigo chugged his cereal milk and wiped his mouth. “Keep that pretty face of yours in check. I don’t want to be the one who messes it up.” And with that he walked away and left out the backdoor.

Grimmjow wanted to chase after him. His instincts were ringing loudly that Ichigo might be the challenge that he needed to get ready for his next fight. He was annoyed and irritable. He obsessed over a challenging contender, and Ichigo might have been what he needed to satiate his desires.

* * *

Ichigo was back in a suit and sat boredly as he watched Grimmjow tear through his training. He went through drills, exercises, and sparring opponents. He was having a bad attitude day. Ichigo thought about his proposal from the other night. Months ago, Old Man Urahara recommended he take the bodyguard position as a way for him to get some type of career going. The old man also said he was tired of patching up Ichigo from his fights with local gangsters, and that he could at least surround himself with some legal fights.

Ichigo wasn’t so keen on the idea, but he wanted a change of pace, and he could help his sisters save for school. Aizen came along after Urahara suggested him. Aizen happened upon a video of Ichigo putting in some work on some thugs who had tried to rob an old lady. Once Aizen learned that he also trained with Chad, he took on the candidate. Of course, Ichigo had to go through vigorous security training and could tell you more about doors and windows than you knew existed. He kept up with the sparring and took on some other fight training to keep him sharper than the average lunatic fan.

He did enjoy watching Grimmjow’s fights, but he knew the man for the attitude and temper he had. They clashed and argued all the time, and that only settled a little since Chad presented as a chance to get some steam out for both of them. **(A/N: Poor Chad lol)**

Ichigo caught a water bottle tossed his way. “Take your clothes off.” Grimmjow growled at him breathing heavily and sweating. He glared at him from the practice ring.

Okay, Ichigo did blush slightly at that. “Take me to dinner at least first.” He ducked from a flying glove. “What the hell man?”

“I ain’t taking no for an answer, Kurosaki. You can fight. I know it. I’m tired of waiting. So get in that damn locker room or take me home and we’ll do it there.”

Ichigo was stunned at first, but he knew he couldn’t avoid it this time. He tossed the keys out from his pocket and twirled them around his finger. “Alright, pretty boy. Don’t complain if you get hurt.”

“Hell yeah, Kurosaki.”

* * *

The driver home was a blur of cars that as Ichigo frantically maneuvered in and out of lanes. It only added to his adrenaline and tension between the man in the back seat who didn’t even dress out of his gym clothes. Grimmjow looked like a kid on the way to the amusement park—only with darker intentions. He nearly jumped out the car before it parked, and nearly dragged Ichigo to his side of the house.

Ichigo slapped the other’s hand away. “Damn, that excited to get your ass beat?” he asked as he started to unravel his tie and unbutton his dress shirt.

“Keep talking kid.” Grimmjow shot back. He waited outside while Ichigo changed. He could feel his heart pumping and his hands shook slightly with excitement. Grimmjow was always one to trust his instincts. He knew a fighter when he saw one. Ichigo just happened to keep whatever inner beast he had tamed on a tight leash and locked in a cage. Grimmjow had a feeling this fight would be fun. Even as much as he talked, he didn’t care about a win or loss. He just wanted to see what this man could do.

Ichigo emerged with a white tee, black shorts, and a pair of sparring gloves on. He had a slight grin on his face as he walked past Grimmjow and headed towards the gym in the main house. Grimmjow took out his phone and connected it to the speakers in the gym. He put on his spar playlist. Ichigo could hear music as they approached the room.

“Gotta set the mood for your epic defeat.” Grimmjow snickered.

Ichigo rolled his eyes and opened the door to the gym. He immediately stopped in his tracks.

“What the hell Kurosaki?” Ichigo shifted to side slightly, so Grimmjow could see what he was looking at. “Oh fuck,” Grimmjow cussed under his breath.

In all his calm mysterious glory, Aizen stood by the practice ring. He looked up at the men and smiled. A shiver ran down both their spines. Aizen looked around at the gym and rolled his neck side to side.

“You know gentlemen, I get a call that you two left practice early, and I hoped that I would come by and see you eating in the kitchen or even with your tongues down each other’s throats.” Aizen’s voice raised slightly as he spoke. He took a deep breath and chuckled as he noticed the contrast between Ichigo’s blushing yet slightly terrified face and Grimmjow’s annoyed one. “But of course, I am a smart man.” His voice darkened. “Ichigo,”

The young man straightened up. “Yes sir.”

“If what I think is happening is happening, it better not be.” Aizen smiled. Ichigo gulped and nodded. “Great,” he smiled. He swung his suit jacket over one of his shoulders. “Grimmjow, relieve that tension of yours. Go see a friend or something.” He walked towards the door, and the two men parted.

“I’ll see you before your fight in a few weeks. I’m always watching gentlemen.” Aizen left on that ominous note.

After a silent minute, Ichigo let out a deep breath. “I can’t believe I almost let you get me fired.” He mumbled.

Grimmjow grumbled. “You sure we can’t still fight? Not like he has cameras everywhere.”

Ichigo gave him a look, but he didn’t confirm or deny it. “No, you fighting addict.” He turned towards the door. “Come on, we’ll get some food or something.”

Grimmjow wanted to scream. So close yet so far from fulfilling his heart’s desire. _Damn that Aizen._

* * *


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the story continues to chug along...

Ichigo would say it took Grimmjow about two weeks of bad attitude training days to get over their interrupted battle. Shawlong was close to begging Ichigo to fight him just so he could focus on the fight approaching. Ichigo was sure that Grimmjow had only smiled when he was going against Chad and even then his friend had some struggles keeping up because of Grimmjow’s rage and attitude. Grimmjow would argue that he was just being a little more forceful than normal. Again, he liked sparring with Chad, so he would never do anything to cause the man to run away. Chad simply called it intense training.

Recently, Ichigo got called to come home. His sisters were missing him, and he did owe them a visit. His dad annoyed him, but he was glad that his sisters were still interested in seeing their older brother since they were now seniors in high school. The twins were a bit busier now with exams, clubs, and college and scholarship applications. They still appreciated a visit from their big brother though.

Ichigo dressed in black jeans and a red tee. It was technically his day off (finally), and he knew that Grimmjow had nothing to do on his schedule. Things were again tense between the two simply from the lack of an outlet. However, he knew how to be cordial enough. He had a job to do of course. Ichigo checked his phone and all the apps that linked to the security cameras around the house. Things had been quiet for a week, so he wasn’t too concerned. Nothing was out of place.

The man went into the main house to check if Grimmjow was around. He found him lounging on the couch.

“I’m going out for a bit.” Ichigo announced before turning. He had expected a grunt or maybe even silence.

“Where ya goin’?”

Ichigo turned again. “I uh, visiting my family. My sister’s making dinner and invited me over. It’s been awhile since I’ve been over.” Ichigo didn’t know why he shared so much, but he was a bit surprised that Grimmjow took some interest.

Ichigo got the grunt he expected the first time around. He noticed that man seemed concerned with something, but he didn’t press. Soon, Grimmjow was alone in the house.

He looked back at the tv. On screen displayed a series of clips featuring Grimmjow’s next opponent. Dordoni Alessandro del Socaccio demanded long fights and delivered heavy kicks. He recently had a series of back and forth of wins and losses, but Grimmjow wouldn’t risk a loss just because of his ego. He had watched the guy’s fights during his heyday and knew the level of damage that man could inflict if underestimated. Sure, Grimmjow was cocky but not stupid.

He was starting to get into the head space he usually had before an approaching fight. This head space was either moody and grouchy or intensely focused and excited. Or a mix. It wasn’t necessarily bad, but Grimmjow did need a break from all the tension going on. He got why Aizen was keeping him on a leash, but he needed to get off it. Seeing Ichigo leave reminded Grimmjow that other people had other things to do besides train, fight, and party. Most of his friends were fighters too, so they didn’t really give the type of distraction that he needed. He pulled away from the fight clips and glanced at his phone. He could call _her_ but…he decided against it.

“Fuck, I need to get some fresh air.” Grimmjow stood up and tossed on a hoodie and a pair of sweats. He took a water bottle from the fridge and headed out.

Being rich had its perks like a relatively isolated house with no immediate neighbors. Grimmjow started jogging in no particular direction and up a hill. His heart started pumping heavily and he could feel the sweat gathering on his neck. He ran and looked at the passing trees and other scenery. His mind was quiet for a while before his thoughts went to his current live-in bodyguard. Though they still argued, Grimmjow guessed it wasn’t _so_ bad. It wasn’t like they didn’t have their own space or that Grimmjow was bringing anyone home anyway.

The man heard a twig snap and stopped running. He turned around, but there was no one behind him. Maybe he was imagining things. He was used to Ichigo coming along for runs. Grimmjow didn’t bother to think about all the psychos who were trying to spy on him, but it did have him wondering at times just how hard Ichigo’s job might be.

Grimmjow started running again. As long as he knew the man, he didn’t really know much about him. They talked about basic things like his fights and training with Chad. Grimmjow knew a little about Ichigo’s family like the twins and the dad—seen a pic of them together. He didn’t ask much about the friends who came by because he was too irritated with their presence to care.

Grimmjow ran back home. He took a shower, turned on a movie in his room, and crashed for the night.

The next morning, he opened the fridge to see two packed meals each with a note on them. One was for Ichigo while the other was labeled for Grimmjow. The notes had some rather feminine handwriting and were decorated with doodles. Grimmow’s had a cartoon panther and boxing gloves. It was the wrong sport and that would have usually annoyed him, but he didn’t bother. He opened lifted the container and realized that there were multiple stacked on one another. He peaked into the first one and saw a colorful array of vegetables, protein, and starches. It looked like the healthy shit he needed to eat, but it actually smelled good.

Grimmjow’s mouth salivated a bit. He then noticed there was a note written on the back of his: ‘Please get along with Big Brother Ichi.-Yuzu and Karin’ Grimmjow blinked then sighed. The twins seemed like they had their head screwed on right. Grimmjow put the food back and started making breakfast. So _maybe_ there could be a second benefit to having the bodyguard around.

* * *

Ichigo was head deep in his game and barely paid attention to the flashing of lights that surrounded him. People ran around him with different props, cameras, and costumes. Grimmjow was a lot of things: a fighter, asshole, celebrity, but…not the best model. Oh he looked the part! He just…lacked the patience.

Ichigo had a love-hate relationship with the days Grimmjoww had to shoot for whatever product endorsement he had. He hated it because Grimmjow had to be difficult. He would argue with photographers, demand breaks, and make random request that would “keep him calm.” Of course, Ichigo was also human, and the love part had mainly to do with Grimmjow’s looks at shoots where very little clothes could be found. Sure, he had been living with him for a bit, but with the right lighting and positioning, looking at the other was very nice.

Ichigo glanced up quickly before darting back to the phone.

However, he couldn’t withdraw from the situation. A flash of light was in his face, and he looked up.

One of the main photographers, Rangiku Matsumoto, smiled brightly at Ichigo. She was half bent over and held a camera in her hand. She stood up and winked at the man. “That suit’s Italian. I could hook you up with the company if you wanna model for them.”

Ichigo sighed and scratched his head. “I barely know about clothes. I get suits sent to me for the job.” He took in the woman. She had on a pink shirt that exposed her chest and a gray pencil skirt on. Her hair was down and flowed over her shoulders. Ichigo knew most people mistook her for a dumb broad, but she was actually successful photographer and model. Interestingly enough, she had gotten her start as an octagon girl and knew a lot about fighting sports. Once Grimmjow started getting popular, she called him up for a sports magazine feature which lead to a spike in endorsement deals since companies saw that Grimmjow was a gorgeous specimen even when recovering from his fights.

Once Ichigo came around, Rangiku had been obsessed with trying to get him to model. She would say ‘only a few pictures, please?’ Rangiku said that Ichigo was the right balance of maturity and youngness. It wasn’t for Ichigo though.

Rangiku shook her head. “Well you don’t need to know about them—just wear them.” She looked at the picture she took. “You do look good though.” She then glanced in the direction of a rather angry model. “I won’t distract you though. The eye candy available is rather satisfying.”

Ichigo blushed. “Whatever…”

Rangiku giggled. “A little birdie told me you’re living with him.”

 _Oh gosh…I wonder who did that._ “Part of my job.” He muttered.

“Well l lucky you.” She reached into her bra and pulled out a card. “Take this and keep it in your wallet. It’s my number. If you ever change your mind or need anything, let me know. Grimmjow is a popular employee. I’d love to squeeze in some shoots in before his next fight.”

 _It’s warm._ Ichigo nodded and put it in a wallet. “He’s annoying at these types of things. Maybe he needs to do something else.”

Rangiku placed a finger on her chin. “Well, we could see if he’ll take up that cologne over. Those shoots are usually at the beach.” She sighed and shrugged. “But I don’t know. The lighting can be difficult. Then there’s the wind.” She shook her head. “If we did that, he really would be out all day with barely anything on in the Sun.”

 _You just had to open her mouth._ Ichigo slowly rubbed his face in an attempt to rid the blush that reappeared. He couldn’t say much. “Thanks for the card.”

“Anytime. We can always meet up if you like. Doing anything tomorrow night?” the woman was quite a flirt even if she was joking.

Ichigo shook his head. “Can’t. Friend’s got a local fight.”

“Ooo, the fighter? Once he makes it big, we’ll take him on.” She laughed. “You just might be a model magnet, Kurosaki.” Suddenly, her phone binged and she looked at it. “Well, the boss is summoning me. Take care.” She turned to leave.

Ichigo nodded. “You too.” He felt someone coming and turned towards them. He cussed under his breath.

Grimmjow sauntered over in a white robe that he somehow managed to avoid covering his chest. Some of his hair was down and in his face. He glared down at the man. “Chad’s got a fight tomorrow?”

It took him a second too long for Ichigo to process the words, but he managed to ignore the grin that the other flashed. He nodded. “Yeah. A few friends and I are going. Then, we’ll probably get some food and drinks afterwards.” He paused thinking about taking a risk. Then he thought screw it. “You wanna go?”

Grimmjow was a bit surprised by the suggestion but contained his excitement. He had rarely been anywhere the last few weeks, and a fight was a great suggestion. He would have his babysitter with him, so Aizen couldn’t argue either way. He had to play it cool. He shrugged. “Sure, I guess.”

Ichigo nodded. “Alright cool. Invite some people if you want.” He then stood up and stretched. “Are we done here?”

“Fucking finally. I don’t know why I agree to do these things sometimes.” Grimmjow grumbled.

Ichigo rolled his eyes. “One word: ego. Now put on some clothes so we can go and these people can relax.”

“I thought you liked catching an eyeful.” Grimmjow winked.

Ichigo kept a blank face. “Hurry up or I will leave you.”

* * *

Grimmjow didn’t realize how much he missed the regional classes of fights. He was in them for about two years before he had his first major fight, but he remembered the traveling and sleeping in cars he had to do. It was just him and some old buddies from the neighborhood. Along the way, he met Shawlong, and Aizen recruited him after some scouting. Big arenas and tons of fans were exciting especially with the theatric lights and booming music, but the smaller space, near shitty sound systems, and rowdy local fans were just as fun.

“Ichigo!”

Grimmjow turned to see _his_ friend run right past him and tackle _his_ bodyguard in a hug. Grimmjow looked over annoyed as the woman stood up and fixed her clothes. She had on a light blue crop top and white pants.

“Ichigo, I’m so happy to see you.”

The man coughed. “Nel, please. I need air.”

“Tch, ahem. Hello to you too brat,” Grimmjow spat out. He crossed his arms.

Nel stood up and pointed a finger. “Don’t even Grimmjow. You were the one ignoring me.”

“I invited you here at least!”

“Whatever. Maybe I just accepted to see Ichigo. Maybe he’s my REAL friend. Hmm?” Nel argued back.

“Oh fuck me, I-,”

“Hey, hey calm down. Nel, relax. Aizen has ramped up security a bit, so Grimmjow was just waiting while we did some more perimetry check and boost some cybersecurity.” Ichigo replied.

Nel backed away. “Fine, but I better get tickets to your next fight Grimmy. It’s been too long.” She then started walking towards the seats where the rest of Ichigo’s friends were.

Grimmjow grumbled and started walking too. “Uh, thanks…for getting her off my case.”

Ichigo sighed. “No problem. I know how she can get when she’s angry.”

“No kidding. If she would’ve stuck with fighting, she would have gone pro like me.” Grimmjow absentmindedly rubbed his arm remembering one particular brawl between the two.

“I bet. Is anyone else you know coming?”

“Nah, I didn’t really feel like inviting anyone else. Nelliel irritates me, but I haven’t seen her in a while…how did you two meet again?”

Ichigo shook his head. “Crazy story. I was walking from the store when-,” Ichigo paused when he saw a flash from the corner of his eyes. He turned slightly.

“What’s wrong?” Grimmjow tensed a bit.

Ichigo shook his head. “Nothing. You wanna get some snacks? Chad’s fight isn’t until an hour and a half or so.”

Grimmjow nodded. “Yeah sure.”

* * *

Grimmjow didn’t want to admit it but…he was enjoying himself at the moment. Chad’s fight was a glorious victory. His opponent was quick on his feet, and Grimmjow knew the man had been training on his speed. Chad had been knocked down at one point and suffered from a few hits. However, he was able to wrap his legs around the other and propel himself up. Then Chad was on top and landed his own hits. Sadly, the round ended before he could secure the victory. In the final round, Chad started moving faster and surprised his opponent with a particularly powerful hit and knocked him out. It was a clean victory. Grimmjow couldn’t get rid of the wide grin plastered on his face. _Now, that’s a serious punch_. He remembered a similar victory he had and the rush he got from surprising both the crowd and his opponent. Grimmjow wouldn’t be surprised if he would see Chad get his first pro fight in at most two years. He wished he could fight him himself, but they were two different weight classes.

The bar filled with another wave of cheers, and Grimmjow knew there was another round of shots going around. There were only good vibes as Grimmjow watched an enthusiastic guy named Keigo reenact some of Chad’s best moves as if everyone wasn’t there. Nel got over her grudge with Grimmjow and started cracking some jokes with him at Ichigo’s slight expense. Hers were never as cruel. She simply recounted a time when the two were together and apparently the bodyguard had a shocked look after some girl tried to flirt with him.

“But of course, we know who’s keeping Ichigo too occupied at home.” She giggled with a wink.

Rukia gasped at that. However, before she could ask any questions, Renji reminded her of another story about an embarrassed Ichigo, and she took out her notepad and sketched it out.

“You guys suck. This is supposed to be a celebration for Chad—not a charity roast.” Ichigo grumbled and flipped over his phone. There was a notification. He glanced at it then stood up. “I’m gonna go real quick.”

Grimmjow raised a brow. “Everything good?”

Ichigo waved his hand. “A sensor went off, but I’m sure it was nothing. I’m only going outside. Pull some stories from Nel or something.” And with that he was gone.

Grimmjow didn’t say anything. He just raised his beer to his mouth.

“Um Grimmjow,” he glanced at the shy woman. Orihime blushed and tapped her fingers together. “I just wanted to say I’m glad you and Grimmjow are together.” She squeaked realizing what she may have been implying. “Well not like that! I mean if it were then that’s okay, but then again, wow good for Kurosaki-kun he’s so shy…It’s good that you two can get along. He’s good about being dedicated to his job. It’s important that he can fun you know?”

Grimmjow was a bit lost at the spiel of words that came out the woman’s mouth, but he grunted and tried not to react to her emotional sentiment. “Yeah well it’s…whatever. He’s still a bit of a brat.”

Orihime laughed and didn’t say anymore.

Soon Ichigo returned and didn’t say anything about the security alert. Grimmjow didn’t push. The celebration went on even after Keigo passed out, Rukia slapped Renji for an embarrassing childhood story, and Chad quietly thanked everyone for their support.

Grimmjow poked the other man a bit roughly. “Oi let’s go.”

Ichigo grunted. “Damn, I knew I shouldn’t have had those last couple drinks.” He raised his head from the table. “Drive home.” He grumbled.

Grimmjow rolled his eyes. “You gotta get out more if you’re barely managing your liquor.” He paid the bill then placed one of Ichigo’s arms over his shoulder.

“Fuck you.” Ichigo groaned as they started to move.

“Tch, you’d like that wouldn’t you?” Grimmjow snapped back. He got Ichigo in the backseat, called a cab for Nel, and fist bumped Chad for a job well done.

On the way home, Grimmjow noticed he wasn’t so nervous about his upcoming fight. Clubs were still fun as well as the attention of others, but this night reminded him a lot of his early days. He glanced up at the sleeping man in the backseat. _Gosh, this idiot._ He shook his head. Sure, he had Ichigo to thank for the night but…Ichigo didn’t need to hear his thanks.

They arrived home just Ichigo rumbled a bit out of his sleep. He said thanks then they went their separate ways. Grimmjow wanted to check that the guy didn’t throw his lungs up or choke in his sleep, but Ichigo shouldn’t be that drunk.

He stared at the ceiling over his bed thinking about the events of the night. Seeing Nel, watching Chad’s fight, and the drinking were fun. He brought up some feelings. Grimmjow wanted to bang his head against a wall. _Fuck!_ He didn’t think he was a feelings guy.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading~  
> Even though the story is still worked out a bit more, please don't be shy in sharing your thoughts/suggestions. I really do enjoy hearing what you think and have to say. Again, writing for this fandom is new for me (any Fairy Tail fans?) so I've still trying to improve. Thanks again!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to another chapter. This story has been challenging me to work with this characters and get a story going, but I hope you are enjoying. Thank you for reading.

* * *

There was something bothering Grimmjow about the night of Chad’s fight. He had a good time with Ichigo’s friends and Nel, but he couldn’t shake the two times that day when Ichigo seemed to notice something going on that Grimmjow couldn’t pick up. He was a smart man, and he didn’t have the best childhood. So he thought he’d be able to tell if there was some sort of danger nearby. But maybe there were some things even he couldn’t pick up on.

Grimmjow took a punch to the face and cussed under his breath.

“You’re distracted.” Shawlong said a bit shocked. Grimmjow rarely took serious hits during practice and honestly should have avoided that. The fact that he got hit confirmed what Shawlong said.

Grimmjow groaned and rubbed his face. “Fuck, it’s nothing.” He looked at Ichigo who was consumed by his phone as usually. Grimmjow turned his back. “I’ll be back. Give me five.” He then walked away without giving a chance for Shawlong to argue.

He walked over to the bench a few feet away from the bodyguard and took a chug of water.

Ichigo looked up. “Oh are you done already?” For some reason, Grimmjow shot slight daggers from his eyes. _Shit, what did I do?_ Ichigo thought.

Grimmjow stretched his arms and neck. “No just needed a break.”

“That’s rare.” Ichigo mumbled.

“Well I’m only fucking human, Berry!” Grimmjow yelled back.

Ichigo stared at him for second before standing up and grumbling. “I’ll be back.” And with that, Ichigo left the fighter and walked out the gym.

Grimmjow rubbed his cheeked and stared at the door. He didn’t really care, but he wondered if he upset the other. Ichigo didn’t look upset though maybe a bit annoyed. That didn’t sit well with Grimmjow. He wasn’t going to have a complete personality change for Ichigo, but he…guessed he could be a bit nicer especially since they’re relationship now had fewer arguments in a given day.

“Grimmjow let’s go!”

But now it was time to work. One week. That’s how much time he had left until his fight.

* * *

Ichigo found him binge-watching more fighting videos in the living rooms. It was another late night, and Ichigo was craving a bowl of cereal as usual. He glanced at the couch and saw Grimmjow zoned out at the tv in a tank top and flannel pajama pants. Ichigo thought about leaving him alone. It looked like he was having a bad attitude day, but Ichigo was suspecting it was something else. Grimmjow got a bit anxious when a fight was approaching.

 _Does he know about the-, no. He shouldn’t._ The younger man went into the kitchen fixed himself his food and then sat down on the couch.

Grimmjow glanced at the bowl offered to him before mumbling and taking it. He took in a spoonful. “You know,” he chewed a bit, “I rather prefer that food ya sister made. That’s real food.” He ate another bite. “What would she say if she knew you ate this crap late at night?”

Ichigo chuckled and shrugged. “You buy it.”

“You eat it. I only had it when you came because Nel liked it.” Grimmjow explained.

Ichigo stretched and continued eating. “Have you given her the tickets for Saturday?”

“Shit of course. If I didn’t, she’d never stop calling.” Grimmjow muttered.

The two continued to eat in silence while the videos played quietly in the backgrounds. Ichigo chugged his milk and tapped the bowl on the palm of his hand. “Are you nervous about your fight?”

Grimmjow cussed. “Don’t tell me you’re getting soft on me, Kurosaki.”

Ichigo laughed. “Hey, I’m asking you. You’ve been pissy and moody, so.”

Grimmjow continued to eat. “Fuck you.”

Ichigo laughed. “You’d like that wouldn’t you.” He chuckled and recalled Grimmjow’s own words.

Grimmjow looked surprised then glared at the wall. “Nothing’s wrong right?”

Ichigo opened then closed his mouth. “Nothing that you need to be worried about of course.”

Grimmjow didn’t want to argue. If he was seriously in danger, he knew Ichigo and especially Aizen would let him know. In a senseless way, Grimmjow was one of Aizen’s moneymakers. Ichigo was Grimmjow’s…something. He’ll go with that.

Ichigo didn’t like the silence that was between them. “Look, you said it yourself. You’re a professional fighter with winning record. You can take care of yourself.” Ichigo shrugged. “I’m just a bodyguard.”

Grimmjow grinned a bit. “Whatever. I still want that fight, ya know.”

Ichigo stood up and took their bowls. “We’ll fight before your title fight, but you have to win all the one’s you have coming up—starting Saturday.”

“Aizen?”

Ichigo smiled. “I’ll worry about that.”

Grimmjow couldn’t stop the grin that was on his face. “Fine, it’s a deal.”

Ichigo smiled. “Good, now fix your attitude. I’m tired of you moping all over the house.”

“Tch, it’s my house.”

“I’m staying here too. Now, go to sleep. You need to rest and win this fight.”

* * *

Nel clung to Ichigo’s arm as the man lazily browsed his phone while surrounded in an arena of screaming fans who were hyped from a night full of fights. The small fries had put on a good show, so the main event of Grimmjow Jaggerjaquez versus Dordoni Alessandro del Socaccio was already so hyped that there was barely anything heard besides the loud cheering and music that played as the fighters were introduced.

Ichigo glanced up at the fighters that faced each other in the octagon.

Grimmjow’s shirt was nowhere to be found and he stood in bright blue shorts that had green strips on the side. From Ichigo’s angle, he could see the man’s gothic ‘6’ tattoo peaking slightly to the front. Ichigo took in a deep breath to control his breathing. Somehow, he rarely saw that tattoo the man had, and there was something about it that immediately made the man blush.

Ichigo shifted to side as Nel let go roughly and cheered loudly. He had no idea why the woman was able to be right by him in the front row, but apparently, she and Aizen went back like Grimmjow. Ichigo shook his head mentally. There were many surprises with that woman.

He looked around and ignored the start of the round. Ichigo knew the arena had great security, and that every non-fighting related personnel had to go through metal detectors. But Ichigo was still nervous at times. There were _so_ many people, so God forbid if someone tried to do something stupid. Ichigo would have a mass of people to go through in order to get to Grimmjow and make sure they get out of whatever shitty situation occurred.

Ichigo tried to relax and went back to his phone. From the corner of his eye, he could see Nel mimicking punches and ducks that seemed to align with her cheers and mostly positive sounds.

The man did, however, look up after he heard the unmistakable sound of flesh hitting a hard surface which cosigned with a shocked concerned gasp from Nelliel.

Grimmjow stumbled a few steps back after getting kicked in the face. Ichigo cussed under his breath. He had heard Shawlong tell the fighter to avoid getting kicked if he could. It is a risky move when fighting since one could easily lose their balance, but this was Dordoni’s specialty.

Grimmjow barely dodged the second kick. His lips were bleeding, and Ichigo could see some small bruises starting form. Dordoni wasn’t looking that well either, but fights could change with only a few moments.

It took a lot of Ichigo’s strength to stand still. It was strange, but he always felt weird seeing the man he was supposed to protect get hurt. It triggered all of his security instincts, yet he could do nothing about it. This was the one scenario that alarmed him greatly, but he had to stand still.

Ichigo and Nel watched attentively as Grimmjow caught the man’s leg and was able to tackle him on the floor. Grimmjow got on top and secured his legs on both sides. He wouldn’t let the man move much and started laying on punch after punch. Ichigo wanted to be relieved, but then the sound of the bell rung. The round was over before Grimmjow was able to get things to look in his favor.

Ichigo watched as Shawlong whispered some pointers in his ear while Grimmjow had water squirted in his mouth. While some gauze was used to clean up his mouth, Ichigo suddenly made eye contact with the fighter.

He didn’t want to look concerned or worried. He knew Grimmjow hated anything remotely near pity, and the man didn’t need a reminder of his error. Grimmjow could feel the results in the throbbing veins in his head.

So Ichigo tried hard to keep his normal scowl to stay on his face. He gave the other man a slight shake of the head to remind Grimmjow of their little bet they had.

Somehow Grimmjow seemed to pick up on this and grinned widely at the other. Ichigo was a bit surprised by that and distracted himself by pointing at Grimmjow, so Nel could know the man was watching. Nel cheered and waved as Grimmjow stood up and went back for the start of the next round.

The two men faced each other.

“That’s a pretty cocky look you have on. Maybe I messed with your head.” Dordoni chuckled with a grin of his own.

Grimmjow only laughed. “I got some motivation. Now, I’m ready to kick your ass.”

Dordoni shook his head as the referee signaled for them to get ready. “Feel sorry for whatever unlucky lady has to see you lose tonight.”

Grimmjow didn’t reply, and the round started.

* * *

Ichigo secretly hated when Grimmjow’s fights got intense like this. Quick, flawless victories were easier to watch. Plus, the longer the fighter was in the octagon meant the more he would probably get hurt. Ichigo put his hands in his pockets and leaned back slightly as all his attention was on the fight.

Both men were breathing heavily. Grimmjow was planning his hits and got a few to land. However, Ichigo couldn’t tell who would win this fight. It was the last round, and Grimmjow had made some good moves. The thing with most fights that didn’t end in KO’s meant that one couldn’t be too sure if the victory was secure until it was announced. Ichigo knew Grimmjow wasn’t so cocky that he would celebrate too early. They had seen enough fight fail videos where a fighter had been celebrating too early just to learn they were in fact the loser.

Ichigo could tell Grimmjow was getting tired. That head injury from early was something that would cause most people to go down quickly. It was a shock that the two men were now in the last round.

Ichigo heard Nel gasp among the chaos and focused in just in time to see Grimmjow catch the other’s leg and tackle him on the ground. Like a panther, Grimmjow managed to top the man and wrap his legs in a headlock. Grimmjow’s body immediately tensed, and he held on despite the inconsistent kicks he felt on his back.

The man’s eyes were intense as he watched his opponent fight for his win, but he was losing air. Soon, his eyes were dimming, and the ref came to call Grimmjow off. The fight was over.

Ichigo let out a deep breath he didn’t know he was holding. He smiled a bit as Nel threw herself in a quick hug before cheering loudly which blended in with the rest of the noise in the arena.

The fighters returned to their corners and were quickly cleaned up. They then walked to the center of the mat along with their trainers and crew.

“In tonight’s battle of Grimmjow Jaggerjaquez versus Dordoni Alessandro del Socaccio, the men fought in all rounds of competition. After a unanimous decision following a submission, the judges find the winner of this match to be…” the announcer gave a dramatic pause, “The Panther—Grimmjow Jaggerjaquez!”

Almost immediately, Grimmjow had that larger than life grin on his face. He shook hands with his opponent.

“Good to know there are promising kids here.” Dordoni whispered in his ear before walking off.

Grimmjow stood for a moment while he and his crew cheered and photos were taken. Ichigo made his move along with Nelliel and met the fighter on the way to the locker room.

Grimmjow shot his grin at Ichigo. _Gosh, winning is so bad for his ego,_ Ichigo thought. The fighter winked. “Made ya worry, Strawberry?”

Ichigo rolled his eyes. “Whatever. Keep going so you can get cleaned up. You look like crap.”

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fight scene! I haven't watched any TV in awhile but my little brother loves the highlight reels. Anywho, thanks again!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi Hi! I hope you all are doing well and taking care of yourself. School is back in session for me, so that's fun...But anyway, this chapter is a bit fluffy as usual so I hope you enjoy.

“Ah shit!” Grimmjow hissed before pushing the hand away. He grumbled as he sat on his couch and glared at the man standing above him. He was wearing simple tank top and gray sweatpants.

Ichigo sighed and looked down at the man. He was holding a cloth that had some antibacterial spray on it in one hand and a bandage in the other. He looked tired. Grimmjow was healing well as usual, but he wasn’t good with sitting still during his wound clean-ups. The other day he nearly chewed off the head of the guy Aizen sent to check on him which left Ichigo with the task of cleaning the fighter up and making sure he’s resting.

“Look, it’ll sting at best. I know what I’m doing.” Ichigo argued. “Shit, can take a punch but not some medicine.” Ichigo mumbled to himself.

“What was that?”

“Nothing. Now sit still. You’re acting like you’re getting your eye stitched.” Ichigo scowled.

“Tch, are you a doctor? Who said you won’t fuck up?” Grimmjow leaned back against the couch and crossed his arms.

Ichigo shook his head. “Damn, you’re drama queen.” He rubbed his neck. “Look, you want a doctor? I’ll drag you to my dad’s if you keep being difficult.”

That caught Grimmjow’s attention. As many stories as he heard about the older Kurosaki, he didn’t want to meet him in person yet. Grimmjow initially had a feeling that the bodyguard’s stories were falsified, but then again…who knows for sure.

Grimmjow grumbled and sat up.

Ichigo used his gloved hands to examine the cut on Grimmjow’s eyebrow. It was mostly closed. He dabbed his cloth on it and received a hiss. “Calm down,” Ichigo placed on a band-aid. He looked at the rest of the man’s face—nothing needing to be covered. It was times like this when Ichigo could be in such proximity with Grimmjow and not get so flustered. “Alright good, nothing else happened to that stupid pretty face of yours.” He then heard a snicker and a shot of warm breath against his neck.

Ichigo immediately straightened up and looked down at Grimmjow. He cursed at himself. Before fights, Grimmjow was moodier than normal and anxious about winning. However, once he won…it didn’t serve to lower his ego. He immediately was his cocky, mischievous self again which could be a curse and a blessing.

Grimmjow caught the slight blush on Ichigo’s face before he turned around and discarded his gloves on the table.

Ichigo tried to return to business as usual. “Anyway, how are the bruises?”

“Hehe, why don’t I just show you, doc?” he lifted up his shirt and revealed his front half in all its glory.

Ichigo’s brain was screaming, but the professional side quickly took over. Ichigo looked and saw that the bruises were fading and should be gone in a week at most. Grimmjow didn’t have any broken bones, so after some rest, he should be back to training in a couple weeks. Ichigo grabbed the man’s hand and pulled the shirt down. Ichigo started cleaning up the first aid kit. “You’re fine for now. See how quick that was? There’s no need to scare that poor man.”

“Aww, can’t even look me in the eye, Strawberry? What’s wrong? Having some lonely nights?” Grimmjow howled at his own joke.

Ichigo turned around and glared at the man. “I’m not the one here acting like I need my dick touched.”

Grimmjow grinned. “Good one. I’ll give you that sure.” he chuckled. “But just so you know, you don’t have to bury yourself in your phone when I’m modeling. I don’t mind the staring.” And with that, he stood up and sauntered to the stairs and disappeared.

Ichigo only stared. _Damn, I just wanna bang my head against a wall._ Winning wasn’t good for the fighter’s ego. At all.

* * *

Once again, it was one of Ichigo’s well-deserved day off which meant he didn’t have to lurk around the house. He appreciated the break. Grimmjow didn’t know, but there seemed to be an increase in the bold fans popping around—or particularly one. Ichigo didn’t know who, but whoever it was seemed to be cautious yet somehow bold. They seemed to lurk around the house and anywhere else Grimmjow was at a far enough distance that most people wouldn’t notice. But Ichigo did after some time.

The man sighed and stretched. He was off the clock which meant he could give that security business a break. He needed to relax. Grimmjow would be fine, and Ichigo had enough to worry about.

“Kurosaki-kun!” he immediately felt arms wrapped around his neck from behind.

Despite his scowl, he turned and hugged his friend. Though he had seen Orihime at Chad’s fight, it was good to see her again. She had been busy with school along with the most of his friends. College was an okay experience. The man had finished earlier than his friends, but he wasn’t sure what to do with a business degree which is why he had taken on the security gig.

He looked up and saw Ishida, Chad, Renji, and Rukia.

“Look who’s out the house! Did your boyfriend give you a day off?” Renji snickered with a grin. Rukia blushed slightly and giggled. She looked like she was on the verge of imaging things Ichigo did not want to hear about.

Ichigo blushed slightly and punched his friend in the arm. “Shut up. You have more important things to worry about. How many more months until you guys graduate?”

Ishida pushed up his glasses. “We have some time,” he paused, “but you didn’t answer Abarai’s question.”

Ichigo looked at the man. “Not you too.” He muttered. “I am very much single thank you—which is not a problem!” he grumbled because he wasn’t sure where he wanted to go with that. “Fuck, let’s get a table.”

He led the group into the barbecue restaurant. The host showed everyone to a wide circular table with a large grill in the middle. A server came quickly to light the grill and took everyone’s drink orders.

Ichigo relaxed a bit by then. “Well don’t stress about your college exams. I rushed through, and I’m not doing much.” He grunted.

“Oh don’t say that. It’s good that you have a job. You get to meet so many interesting people.” Rukia’s eyes sparkled a bit.

“Tch, more like a pain in my ass.” Ichigo grumbled. He thought about how Grimmjow fussed while he changed his bandages. He rolled his eyes.

Ishida chimed in. “Kurosaki has a lot of opportunity in front of him if he just knows where to look.”

Ichigo grumbled and started cooking meat on the grill. “Whatever. The only connects I seem to have are for a model photographer who may want to take me out on a date.”

Ishida’s eyes lit up slightly. “Is she searching for any designers?” Despite his ongoing medical studies, the man’s fashion hobby was proving to take up most of his time. Ichigo snapped a photo of Mastumoto’s business card and sent it to the other. Just because he wasn’t sure about what life held for him in the next few years doesn’t mean his friends won’t figure something out.

“Oh, how are the twins doing?” Orihime asked.

Ichigo flipped the steak cooking. “They’re okay. I know Yuzu had submited a couple of early applications. They have a test date coming in a month or two I think.”

Renji leaned back in his seat. “It’s crazy man. They’re going to be going into college soon.” Chad nodded and started pouring drinks for his friends.

“Well, they’ll be fine. They’re good girls.” Rukia then had a mischievous look on her face. “But Ichigo, remember our econ professor? You won’t believe what I just heard.”

And with that, the night continued with plates of barbecue meat and Korean alcohol. The group caught Ichigo up on their university antics and future plans. Ichigo insisted that not much was up in his life. They didn’t argue, but Renji asked if he could get tickets to Grimmjow’s next fight. Ichigo shrugged. He rarely wondered about the perks of his job especially since Aizen was good on his word and paid Ichigo more for his “live-in” status.

Somehow, the group ended up at a karaoke club in which they ran into some other people from the school. Ikkaku, Yumichika, and Shuuhei were on their way to a club but decided that karaoke was a better idea once they had spotted Ichigo out.

And so the night was filled with even more alcohol, terrible singing, and embarrassing dancing. Yumichika chided everyone on their singing and then proceeded to put on such a horrid performance that Ikkaku recorded while howling in laughter. He then begged everyone not to post the video anywhere. He thought it would be quite the birthday surprise later on. Somehow, the drunk crew of students agreed.

After some begging, Orihime got Chad and Ichigo on stage where they gave a performance of a popular rap song from their high school days. It was quite the shocker considering Chad’s quiet nature.

Renji chuckled as he typed on his phone after the song.

Rukia peeked up. “What are you doing?”

Renji grinned and shrugged. “I agreed to keep the video of Yumi. There’s no way I’d agree to hiding this one of Ichigo.” He laughed.

Rukia nodded at that logic. _I can’t argue there._ She looked up and saw that Ichigo was going to do a song with Orihime. She raised her phone slightly. _I can’t miss out either._

* * *

Meanwhile, Grimmjow found himself in his gym with loud blasting rock music vibrating through the walls. He was sweating as he went to town on the sandbag hanging from the ceiling. He knew he shouldn’t be pushing his body so hard, but he couldn’t stand siting around the house. Ichigo was gone, and there wasn’t much to do.

He had the idea that he should sneak out the house and go out, but he didn’t feel like Aizen popping out of the blue and ruining his mood. Plus, Aizen had other sport clients, so as scary and annoying as he was, Grimmjow didn’t want to get dropped. So all things considered, he ordered some ramen and was working up his hunger.

Grimmjow saw his phone flash and stopped for a moment. He looked at his phone and saw that the doorbell had rung. He figured it was a delivery driver.

He took a towel and wiped his face. He let it hang around his neck and jogged to the door. He didn’t bother looking through the peep hole and opened the door.

Instead of a person, Grimmjow looked down at basket.

_What the hell is this?_

He squatted down and looked at it. It was a woven basket filled with bright blue tissue paper. There were varying fruits and foods in it as well as a couple cards and photos from sports articles Grimmjow had been featured in.

The man looked at it from angles. It was definitely something from a dedicated fan, but there was no way it should be at his door—not at this hour at least. Grimmjow heard the gate to his house open and jumped slightly. He watched as a small black car drove up.

Grimmjow watched tensely from the door as the car pulled up. Then, a young unassuming man came out with a t-shirt, sweats, and a cap on. He held a bag that displayed the restaurants logo on it.

“Hey, I’m your delivery driver.” He popped his gum and held out the food for the other.

Grimmjow looked at him for a moment before taking the bag. “Thanks,” he paused and looked at the gate, “no one let you in right?”

The driver looked confused and shook his head. “Uh no. I used da code you gave.”

Grimmjow let out a deep breath and nodded. _Relax man._ “Of course, yeah.” He handed the man some cash. “Thanks.” And against his better judgement, he went inside with both the food and the basket and managed to lock the door behind him.

He walked into the kitchen and dropped everything on the counter. He grumbled as he looked at the basket. Part of him suggested that he called up his bodyguard and have him come home but…Ichigo needed to have fun and by the photos he had gotten from some new group chat where he only recognized Sado’s number, the young man was having a good time.

 _Fuck it. I’ll deal with it later._ He opened up his bag and poured the ramen broth into the bowl with the noodles. It smelled amazing. Grimmjow’s mood immediately brightened up, and he went upstairs to enjoy his meal—leaving the basket and his worries in the kitchen.

* * *

Ichigo groaned as he rolled awake in his bed. He glared up at the ceiling. The night before had been fun, but now he was hungover and did not feel like working. Aizen had set him up with some security meeting he had to go to. Apparently, it talked about new threats and predators and was basically for honing your skills. Ichigo swore the older man must have been a scout or something as a youth because ‘Be Prepared’ seemed to be the man’s life motto. Ichigo went to these training things every few months, and he was starting to get slightly paranoid at times—for his sake and Grimmjow’s.

Ichigo climbed out his bed and walked into the adjacent bathroom. He brushed his teeth while his shower water warmed up. He washed his face and hoped that the slight bags under his eyes would go away. He had a couple hours to spare before the training started, so he was in no particular rush.

After the shower, Ichigo changed into some house clothes before finally making his way into the kitchen. He could smell coffee when he stepped in. He peeked and saw Grimmjow—shirtless—standing in front of the stove.

Ichigo chuckled. “You cook?”

Grimmjow grumbled and cussed as hot grease jumped at him. “Shut up. I can’t keep spending all of my money on takeout. That’s not healthy.”

Ichigo took a seat at the high counter to enjoy the show. “As much as I appreciate your attempts to seduce me this morning, it’s not smart to cook bacon without a shirt on.”

Another pop and Grimmjow hopped back. “No shit Sherlock.” He then placed the bacon on the two plates and handed on to Ichigo. “Remind me never to do anything nice for you again asshole.”

Ichigo looked down at the plate. It was strawberry French toast with bacon. Grimmjow placed a bowl of fruit in front of him. Granted it, it was still not the healthiest meal a fighter should be eating, but maybe it was a cheat day. “Oh I didn’t know you made me some…you didn’t have to.”

Grimmjow rolled his eyes and took a seat by the man. “It beats the sugary shit you call cereal.”

“Tch, whatever. You’re gonna need a personal chef if you keep cooking this junk. Shouldn’t you be chugging raw eggs and spinach?” Ichigo grumbled before stuffing a bite in. It was…delicious. He needed a meal like this, and it had been awhile since he had a hot breakfast. He didn’t pin Grimmjow as one to cook often, but he definitely had some basic skills.

“I’d hire that sister of yours if she wasn’t so hellbent on going to college.” Grimmjow mumbled. Ichigo had a surprised look on his face. “What?”

The man turned away. “Nothing. I just didn’t think that you paid that much attention to what I say. Yuzu really does want to cook professionally, but I support her going to school. Just a good cushion for life.”

Grimmjow fought a slight blush. Listening meant he cared, and he didn’t want to seem too soft. “Well…those sisters of yours is all you talked about when you came here. Hard to forget some things.” He paused to continue eating. “But that food she made was good as hell. I rather her live here and cook than deal with your grumpy ass.” He chuckled.

“Not in a million years. I couldn’t have her staying with a perv like you.”

“Hey! I’ve been on my best behavior. I could spend all my time flirting with you eh, Strawberry.” Grimmjow grinned as he bit into the fruit and winked at the man.

Ichigo cursed under his breath but didn’t trust himself to say anything. He stood up and made himself a cup of coffee. He glanced at a basket and was confused. “Where’d you get this from?”

Grimmjow shrugged. “It was left at my door. I brought it when I went to get my dinner last night.”

Ichigo tensed. “What the hell. This could be a bomb for all you know!”

“That’s a bit excessive don’t you think? Plus, it would have went off by now. Don’t start worrying.”

Ichigo rolled his eyes. “It’s my job to worry. Shit, I’m gone for a night, and you’re bringing in strange shit.”

“Oh, I’m sure you had quite the night.” Grimmjow chuckled. “What was the song? _I was made for lovin’ you baby; you were made for lovin’ me._ Quite the Casanova; I wish I knew.” Grimmjow stuck his tongue out and winked.

Ichigo stood horrified recalled vaguely the other song Ichigo had performed with Orihime. There was no way Grimmjow should have seen that. He blushed embarrassed. “How’d you see that?”

Grimmjow grinned. “I have my ways.”

Ichigo grumbled. “Fuck you.” He started fixing his coffee and saw the basket. “I’ll be out today. Don’t bring in random shit and throw this away!”

Grimmjow laughed at his childish anger. “Yeah, yeah.”

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ichigo definitely has a protective streak, but he's trying so hard--poor baby. Thank you for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's spooky season month. The weather is changing where I'm at which isn't fun but...hey school is going along at least. I hope you all are going well. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Ichigo was getting restless. Hours of security training did not do well for his anxiety. Lecturer after lecturer discussed different threats, new stalking technology, and the difficulties law enforcement had with catching predators.

It was enough to make Ichigo want to go to Grimmjow’s, throw away all electronic devices, and lock the doors to the outside world.

Of course, that was unrealistic though. Ichigo glanced at the clock. The last speaker for the day should be winding down soon. He and the other people in the room were beginning to feel all the same tiredness. The day was good for networking though Ichigo wasn’t really sure how serious he wanted to go into security. Sure, his job wasn’t so bad though the personnel (Grimmjow) had an ego problem, but…it wasn’t like he had to guard the president or anyone like that.

Either way, the man stood around afterwards and shook hands with a few people he recognized from these boring events. Older men commented that he had potential to start his own business or could get signed under theirs. Ichigo just shrugged and pocketed multiple business cards. He sorted them behind Matsumoto’s. He groaned as he looked at it. Grimmjow was probably scheduled for some new shoot soon especially with how his wounds were healing up.

“Hey, you’re Kurosaki, right?” the young man’s thoughts were interrupted.

He looked up and saw Soi Fon. She was a big name in the security world and knew Urahara as well—even though they weren’t necessarily friends.

Ichigo stuck out his hand. “Yes, how are you?”

She shook his hand and straightened out her jacket. “I’m fine.” She paused and looked around. “I am a bit curious about your question from earlier. You don’t have a stalker on your hands, do you?”

Ichigo groaned at the mention. He wasn’t sure what to think. He shrugged. “I’m not sure. I was pretty sure that this was just a very passionate fan, but…” he rubbed his neck, “I just have a feeling.”

The woman nodded. “Well, those can get very dangerous quickly if you don’t catch them.” She straightened up and smiled a bit despite her normally cold nature. “You’re doing well for the position you’re in. Most people here wouldn’t know how to handle a celebrity like Jaegerjaquez especially with so much publicity at times.”

Ichigo grumbled. “Yeah and the bastard-,” he paused reminding himself to keep it professional. “Yeah well his love for stardom doesn’t make it easy. I’m happy he’s been staying in the house though. Makes my job easier.”

Soi Fon chuckled a bit. “You sure about that?”

Ichigo raised a brow. “What do you mean?” he glanced at his phone and saw a message from Aizen: “ _Do you know why paparazzi has spotted Grimmjow at the beach?”_

Ichigo stared at the phone in disbelief. _Oh fuck me._ He grabbed his hair and groaned. “I’m going to kill him.”

* * *

The way Grimmjow saw it, this wasn’t his fault. Okay, so yes he was on a yacht surrounded by girls, models, alcohol, with party music blasting and lights flashing. BUT it wasn’t his plan to be out there.

After Ichigo had left, he had seen a message from one of his old buddies during his early days. Grant it, the last time he had seen Nnoitra they nearly fought over something stupid with both of them not being able to back down from a challenge. Last Grimmjow heard, the man was opening up a string of clubs at an alarming rate, but…that wasn’t Grimmjow’s business.

Anyway, he accepted the invitation to lunch because apparently Aizen’s rule that he could feed himself was his loophole to freedom without his babysitter. So the fighter met his friend at some sushi beach bar, and they talked and drank. But then some people came that Nnoitra knew and then there were more drinks and then wind of a party thrown by some business partner of Nnoitra’s. And now…here we are.

Grimmjow didn’t know how much he missed partying. He was afraid he was almost turning into an introverted homebody. Grimmjow danced and flirted as he moved through the crowd. Some people he would recognize from other fighting or celebrity related events. He wasn’t one to really mingle too much, but again, it’s been awhile.

He was feeling up to one particularly bold woman when suddenly his vision was gone, and he could feel someone even taller than him leaning against his back.

Hot breath was on his neck and an appealing voice in his ear. “Hey big boy, why don’t I show you where the real fun is at?”

Now, Grimmjow wasn’t easy to tame, but you know what they say about curiosity and the cat and all. So he allowed the stranger to maneuver him through the mass of people and into the interior of the boat. Once they were in the elevator, Grimmjow tried to remove the hands to see his captor, but all he got was a chuckled and, “ah ah, not yet. You don’t want to ruin your surprise.”

So he waited another minute and noticed how much quieter the lower deck was. All he could feel was the bass and other vibrations from the party upstairs. Grimmjow heard a door open and stepped in. Due to his temporary blindness, he was starting to notice a familiar smell of an Italian cologne. _Why do I know that smell- oh shit!_

Grimmjow could suddenly see and standing in the middle of the luxury bedroom was a very annoyed bodyguard who was dressed in an Italian jacket with a brown coat and pressed pants. A few buttons were undone at the top, and he simply glared at the fighter.

He sighed and walked over to the taller man who finally Grimmjow turned to see. The man was some Russian god who looked like he participated in the World’s Strongest Man competition. He wasn’t necessarily Grimmjow’s type but impressive nonetheless.

Ichigo reached into his pocket and handed the man some cash and what looked to be a business card. He sighed. “Thanks so much. Sorry for the trouble.”

The other man shrugged and smiled. “No worries. He was no problem at all.” He looked at the card. “I can reach you at this number?”

Ichigo nodded. “I’ll answer the call.”

The giant man grinned and licked his lips. “I’d love to take you out now.”

Ichigo smiled and gestured with his head to Grimmjow. “I’d love to, but I have to teach my Kitty here a lesson.” And with that he closed and locked the door to ensure they had some privacy.

Immediately as the door closed, Ichigo’s scowl was back in place and looked up at Grimmjow. He cussed under his breath and moved back in front of the bed and tossed off his jacket. He rubbed both sides of his neck. “I’m going to fucking kill you.”

Grimmjow regained some stability after the rather interesting scene displayed in front of him. “You paid him off?” he growled a bit.

Ichigo sighed. “Yes asshole. The only reason he got you was because I paid him. You’re fucking lucky I had the decency to find someone who had no clue who you were to drag you down here.” He cussed. “Anyway! All I wanted to do was go home and take a hot shower and now I’m standing in a boat in the fucking ocean because someone needed to get his dick touched.”

“First of all, Berry, it was not my plan to come out here; it kinda just happened.” Grimmjow looked down at aggressively annoyed eyes. “Fuck you. I don’t need to explain myself to you. Not like you actually care anyway.”

Ichigo didn’t know what to say at first. He sat on the bed and rubbed his eyes. He had already spent most of his day in a boring long conference. Then, he had to track down which beach Grimmjow was at, dodge paparazzi, pay off some dude to ride to the yacht, then find someone clueless about the country’s celebrities in order to lure him in here so he could chew the man out. Now, Grimmjow was playing the feelings card.

“Look, I get that you needed to get out. I absolutely agree,” Ichigo sighed. “I already got my ass chewed out from Aizen along with the threats to my job, so it’s whatever. Your leash is getting a bit longer as you would so elegantly say it.”

Grimmjow grinned wildly. “Really?”

“Yes, but come on. I’m dragging you home. I’m tired, and we need to get off this boat.” Ichigo grumbled.

Grimmjow snickered and looked down at the man. “Eh come on Berry, let’s stay a little longer. I could find you someone to have fun with. That guy looked like a ready and willing boy toy.” He laughed and gripped on the man’s shoulder.

Ichigo pushed him away. “Fuck no, that guy’s not even my type.”

Grimmjow’s eyes lit up a bit, and Ichigo blushed. “Oh really? Then what’s your type?” he grinned.

Ichigo glanced up and shook his head. “Come on before I call Aizen and tell him to lock you in a cage and let you out only to fight and train.” He headed towards the door with Grimmjow laughing and following behind him.

Meanwhile, a pair of eyes stared intently at multiple screens that featured different angles and shots of Grimmjow throughout the day. There were some from him driving, some from his lunch, and a few of him dancing the on the deck. The shady figure was glued in and eyes wandered from screen to screen. The fighter was their obsession. It was so nice to look from afar and enjoy the view, but they needed to get closer. They needed to make contact. They were so bold with the basket, but they wished the effort was better acknowledged. They needed to have Grimmjow for themselves—to see and be recognized.

* * *

So Ichigo was back on babysitter duty. When this was all said and done, he needs to make sure he has bodyguard, driver, and celebrity babysitter all on his resume. Grant it, living with the fighter was already a bit of a push, but Ichigo had forgotten how much of a pain Grimmjow could be when he was out the house. It seemed the man had interpreted Ichigo’s leash extension as it being totally gone. So Ichigo was back to chasing after him and bringing him home after long nights of partying.

Like now.

Ichigo cussed under his breath as he followed the drunk man to the car. “I fucking hate you.” He grumbled. Ichigo was praying that the raging party animal would soon exit Grimmjow’s system. He was even tempted to use himself and their promised fight as a way to get him to calm down and sober up.

“You love me!” Grimmjow called back before tripping on the ground.

Ichigo cussed and stared at him. He was tempted to leave him there; however, he had a job to do. Grimmjow was bouncing between a close acquaintance and friend, so it wouldn’t be right to leave him leave him there on the ground. He sighed. Then in the dark night he saw a flash from up high in a building. Ichigo peer in the direction but couldn’t see anything. “Shit,” he mumbled to himself. He quickly went over to the man and lifted him on his shoulders. “Grimmjow, you just attract trouble.” He mumbled more to himself than anyone. Ichigo carried them to the care and placed him in the backseat. “No more partying.” He said sternly and pointed at him.

Grimmjow groaned and rested his head on the seat. “Whatever. You’re just jealous.”

Ichigo rolled his eyes. “Of what? Your recklessness?”

Grimmjow looked up and grinned. “Why’d ya pull me off that girl, Strawberry? Getting jealous?” he laughed.

 _Fight the blush._ Ichigo scowled more. “Shut up. It’s passed your bedtime.” He jumped slightly when he saw another flash.

Grimmjow noticed and frowned. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing—paparazzi or something. Let’s get you home.” Ichigo replied. He tried to turn away, but his collar was grabbed. He turned to see irritated blue eyes, and he knew he wouldn’t be able to get out of this one.

Grimmjow pulled him closer. “Why do you keep lyin’ ta me? You know I don’t like that shit.”

Ichigo swallowed but couldn’t look away. Everyone had their peeves, and Ichigo was fully aware of Grimmjow’s. Of course, he rarely had any reason to lie to him, but following orders and all that, he didn’t really want to tell him that there was more than likely a stalker who was getting pretty comfortable following them around. He tried to hold his ground. “I’m telling you; it’s paparazzi. You haven’t been out causing chaos in a while, so they’re just following you around.” Grimmjow smirked, and that wasn’t a good sign.

“Paparazzi, huh?” he chuckled. “If that’s the case, then I better see this in the papers.” And with that, he pulled on Ichigo’s collar and closed the space between for a kiss. It wasn’t long before the shock ran its course through Ichigo’s body, and he pulled back before glowing red. He slammed the door before getting into the driver’s seat. “No need to be shy, Kurosaki. I wouldn’t mind more.”

Ichigo’s brain was screaming. Grimmjow seemed to be trying out new torture tactics, and he’d be damned if he let the man know it rattled him up. It took every fiber and the nerve screaming ‘Danger’ for Ichigo to step back, but he had to. Grimmjow was an asshole, and Ichigo wasn’t set on dealing with unnecessary emotions while there was someone out there keeping tabs on the two. “Shut up, Grimmjow. You’re drunk.” That would be his excuse for a while. The handsome fighting Casanova probably just needed to get all that pent-up energy out. Ichigo rolled his eyes as he started to car with Grimmjow’s laughter ringing in his ears.

The drive home was relatively quiet minus the snickers coming from the back and the gears churning in Ichigo’s brain. He can think about the kiss in bed later that night. Right now, he was more concerned with the known threat that was Grimmjow’s stalker. He wanted to find the pest and throw them in a jail cell. Who knew who the guy was, but Ichigo didn’t want anything bad to happen at all. It was Ichigo’s job to keep Grimmjow safe no matter how difficult that could be at times.

Ichigo parked the car and got out. He watched as Grimmjow managed to step out and walk to the front of the vehicle. “Do you need help?” he asked every bit annoyed and tired.

Grimmjow grinned and winked. “Why? Wanna join me in bed?” he laughed. “You’re always welcomed.”

Ichigo shook his head and ran his hand through his hair. “Good night, Grimmjow.”

* * *

Grimmjow found him on the roof.

He had a pestering headache and decided it was best to have some fun by messing with his lovely bodyguard to get him hype for the day. In all honestly, Grimmjow was dreading the upcoming week. With two more fights coming up, he wasn’t surprised when Aizen called and told him he was going to be training at some fancy isolated gym in the mountains. Apparently, he had to get ready for the next one, and Aizen felt a change of scenery was appropriate. Grimmjow figured this is why he was able to go out and have his fun. He couldn’t see civilization for who knows how long.

“Oi, what the hell are you doing?” he called up to the young man who was sitting on the roof with a pair of binoculars.

Ichigo didn’t move. “Shouldn’t you be hungover or something?” he yelled back.

Grimmjow rolled his eyes. Despite his rather flirtatious mood, he wasn’t that drunk last night just in a mood…to kiss his bodyguard maybe. He didn’t know. “What the fuck are ya looking at?”

Ichigo sighed. He was trying to figure out how the hell this stranger one, got through the gate and two, map out any areas the cameras might have missed. Ichigo really did hate those security meetings; they made him paranoid even within reason. He moved the binoculars and looked down at Grimmjow. He shook his head. “Have you ever heard of clothes?”

“I think you’re the only one who complains about my gorgeous physic. That babe last night wasn’t.” He grinned.

 _Fuck, how much of last night did he remember?_ “Ok ok, I won’t interfere your next conquest jeez.” He sat back down. He couldn’t figure it out. Cameras were where they needed to be, and he just updated the security software. Maybe he needed to look around the house. He glared down at Grimmjow. _Handsome bastard making my job difficult._

“Whatever. I’m going on my jog.” Grimmjow grumbled. He liked getting a rise out of Ichigo. It was no fun when the man was all high-strung. Grimmjow knew there was something fishy going on, but he couldn’t figure it out. He wasn’t trying to toss and turn about it.

Ichigo watched the man walk away. He glared up at the bright blue morning sky. He didn’t like the feeling swirling in his gut. He was aware that Grimmjow could _definitely_ fight, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t some psycho out there who wouldn’t go through great lengths to start some crazy shit and hurt Grimmjow. Ichigo was naturally protective, so the red alarms he saw weren’t making things better.

Suddenly, Ichigo’s phone flashed and buzzed. He glared at it and picked it up. He saw the email notification which was weird considering this was his work phone. He opened it and was surprised by the rather colorful language and threats against the man from some strange email. Attached was a photo from last night of Grimmjow’s rather…interesting attempt of testing Ichigo’s patience. Ichigo was initially shocked, but then he chuckled.

If he had to be bad guy to drag out this creep, then that’s what Ichigo will do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Le plot thickens...
> 
> Thanks for stopping by. Feel free to comment if you want. I appreciate what you have to say.

**Author's Note:**

> Brownie points to whoever can guess where that line Aizen said is from. No one has made any attempts yet *sad face*. The story started from my tumblr and kinda grew from there. And now we're in the works. Thanks for coming.


End file.
